Date of establishment

During 1136-1225- the blue color flag with two headed eagle was fluttering in the territory of Azerbaijan, the flag of  Atabeys State (State of Eldegiz).  Founder of Atabey State was Atabey Shamsaddin Eldegiz. Azerbaijan (to south from Kura) included North- West Irani provinces (İsfahan, Rey) etc.  Its capital at various times was Nakhchivan, Hamadan and Tebriz. 

Garaqoyunlu State – covered during 1410-1468 years all Azerbaijan, except Shirvan, present territory of Armenia, part of Georgia, Western Iran and Iraq. Garaqoyunlu was Union of Oghuz Turkic tribes.  It is called Garaqoyunlu for the black sheep described at flag.

By defeat of Garaqoyunlu in 1467 at Mush battle the area vesting till Baghdad was captured by Agqoyunlu.  In 1468 Uzun Hasan founded Agqoyunlu State.

Safavids State - It was a state, the area of which covered territories of today\'s Azerbaijan, Iran, Armenia, Iraq, Afghanistan, western Pakistan,  south Turkmenistan and eastern Turkey from 1501 till 1736. For the first time in the history Safavids had declared the Azerbaijani Turkic as  its official language . Green color in flag is a symbol of Islam.

  

Four-cornered red calico (220 x 122s cms of size) of the flag of the Baku khanate have been sewed from four parts of  light  raspberry and one part of open moire color cloth. Green fabric (width 31 cms) placed lengthwise was fixed at flag stick through red atlas cloth (width 6 cm). There are small three patterned stripes on the green fabric.

Six petal flowers and patterns of pointed and waveform leaves were located inside of almond-shaped patterns similar to tulip of light green and dark green colors placed at first strip nearby. Tips in the inside of the second wider stripe, but darker and other light green colored crescent was described and inside of circle formed from its joint and these crescents six and eight petal flowers were included.  The ornament formed of leaves of almond shaped patterns with ornaments of dark green colors inside of stripe and crescent.  The traces of threads of already paled gold thread on all flower and inside of decorations remained. Three crescents joined with tips of dark raspberry color on the cloth located at left parts close to green cloth were described.. 

Two ears were described with threads of dark raspberry color in opposite directions starting from inside of 1st biggest crescent, from the center.  Two ears were described inside of middle crescent relatively wider and of green crescent. “Ya Mohammad, mominleri mujdele” and “Allahdan komek ve yakhin qelebe” words were written with dark raspberry threads n Arabic inside of wider green places. Words of Allah komek edendir ve allah qoruyandır have been written in Lower part was covered with decorations resembling elements of Arabic script (“bismillah“ or “Bakuya) in the form of longitude-wise eight petal flower form. 

   

The quadrangle cloth of flag (length 127 cm, width 174 cm) was prepared with clothes if light raspberry color and green color sewn to each other by hand and specially weaved. At right side of upper part three red rose bouquets, one longitudinal circle of scarlet red color, and two longitudinal circle of golden color were described on right side.  There is “Allah” words written in golden color inside of red circle encircled with golden tulip flowers. Natural elements of roofs end with red color crescent-star. Following words were written in framework divided into two   from mid: “Allah prefers those fighting at battle than those sat at home during battle. Allah does not differentiate them, and gifts categories for being closer to Allah are provided, and pardon their guilt. Allah is merciful and kind . The mid part was wrapped on it with ten lays and Arabic word “La ilaha illallah, Mahammadun  rasulullah” with golden color threads and repeated at last five times.

 

The biggest flag of Shaki Khanate for its sizes (245 x 237 sms) is of five-pointed star form. Raspberry colored middle part have been covered by yellow silk thread and with ornaments developed by threads and gold thread. Flag calico is of yellow color, have eight-pointed star, and with yellow silk threads, among lines on vertical position, round and triangle small figures.

Red calico part of the flag (sizes:156 x 156 cm) is of fabric of ditch of cornel colored four-cornered silk. Descriptions of lion and sun (shir-e-khurshid) have been made by natural colors on it. The lion described from the side, had turned head to back, keeps a sword at front left claw and lifted a tail towards the back. Yellow sun rising at back of the lion and its golden rays are seen.    At yellow drop-form part over the head of lion the words of As-sultan ben as-sultan Shah Fathali Gajar, 1239 were written. The following Koran ayats have been written in yellow colored letters inside of four parts located  in each of the triangles formed in the of cornel part of the flag red calico: Below on the right, Mominleri mujdala , in the left, Komek allahdandır ve yakhın qalaba, on the right above, Haqiqatan biz sene achıq-ashkar bir qelebe bekhsh etdik, in the left, Marhametli, rahimli allahın adı ile . One of descriptions in face and lining parts of the flag repeats each other.       

     

                    

   

Flag promised by Emperor Alexander I was presented one year later to Mehdiqulu khan in 1807. In October 30, 1838 Emperor Nicolas I had affirmed the right to use this flag by Garabagh khans as symbol of power. The flag red calico (115 x 100 cms) is four-cornered twofold silk fabric turned yellow from the affect of the time. Descriptions at both sides of the flag are the same. Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire had been described in the both sides. Bill, eyes, claws of the grey colored two-headed eagle and symbols of authority held in claws, as well as two small and one big crown in middle over both each head and heads of eagle are of golden color. Surface of crown were adorned with blue and red stones. European shield with golden frame has been described in the breast of the eagle. The coat of arms of Moscow city – the picture of George Victorious had been reflected on shield with white, red and grey colors. Silvery gold thread  sewn with threads to edge of the flag, and eight petal flowers and crosses have been laid on it in the longitudinal shape. Fine fringes of silver hangings in the form of   six petal flower and of golden threads have been put on flag from three sides.

 

The first government decision on the National flag of the Azerbaijan Republic was adopted in June 21, 1918. At that decision Azerbaijan flag of red material, white crescent on and description of the white eight-pointed star at red background was accepted. While adopting of this decision Azerbaijan government was located in Ganja city and to carry out activity in Baku was impossible. Azerbaijan government could carry out its activity in Baku only after 15th of September, when city was liberated from enemy with help of the Turkish troops. The first national flag has been in the red colour, in the form of national flag of the Turkey.

The first flag of Azerbaijan People Republic existed till Nov 9, 1918. 

Little soon after starting of functioning of Azerbaijan People Republic in Baku the second decision in flag was adopted.  In Nov 9, 1918 Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan People Republic had adopted a decision on the National flag. In the decision signed by Chairman of the Council of Ministers Fatali Khan Khoyski it is said: “To accept a flag with green, red and blue colors and white crescent and eight-pointed star as the National Flag of Azerbaijan”. Our National Flag was first adopted in Nov 9, 1918 in Baku, at the building of Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan People Republic (present office of SOCAR, then property of oil millionaire, famous singe Seyid Mirbabayev) and hoisted. One of the glories days in the history of Azerbaijani flag was a date of Dec 7, 1918 when our national flag was hoisted at inauguration of Parliament (the building of Girls School of great philanthropist, millionaire Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev, present building of manuscripts) of Azerbaijan People Republic, the first democratic secular state in the east and Turkic Moslem world. A result of occupation of Azerbaijan by XI Red Army of Soviet Russia Azerbaijan People Republic was overthrown and the tricolor flag, the symbol of ideal of our Republic, our independence was taken off from the building of Azerbaijani Parliament on May 3, 1920...  

Flag of Azerbaijan People Republic in 1918-1920.

Soviet Power was established on April 28,

1920 in Baku and Azerbaijan Republic of Public Councils (Azerbaijan SSR) was declared. At the beginning a red flag with white five-pointed star and white crescent in the upper hoist was being unofficially used together with red revolutionary flag. Such flag was described at placard issued in 1921 in Baku.  

First flag of Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic during 1920-1921.

 

On May 1921 the Flag of trade, sea and army of Azerbaijan Republic of Public Councils was of from scarlet red cloth, and abbreviation “AİŞC  or  “Azərbaycan İctimai Şuralar Cümhuriyyəti  was written in left corner, at side of flag rope on green background

The description this flag had a difference with flag of the RSFSR that the area of writing in the RSFRR flag was red but in flag of Azerbaijan it was in green. In 1921 the state language of Azerbaijan SSR was Turkic language and alphabet was in Arabic and so,  AİŞC” abbreviation was given in Arab script in Turkic language. 

Flag of Azerbaijan SSR during 1921-1922. 

On December 30, 1922 after Azerbaijan was included in the structure of USSR , the Central Executive Committee of the Azerbaijan SSR issued a decree about equal rights of the new Latin alphabet

on the base of the Arabian graphics. It was reflected on the flag with the abbreviation of “A.S.S.R.”

The State flag was described in the article 104 of Constitution: “Red (scarlet) colour cloth, with gold initials “A. S. S. R.” or inscription of “Azerbaijan Socialist Soviet Republic” above in the hoist

Flag of Azerbaijan SSR during 1922-24.

In Dec 8, 1924,  3rd  session of 4th convocation of Parliament of Azerbaijan SSR M had adopted a new edition of the Constitution of Azerbaijan SSR. Congress of Soviets of Azerbaijan SSR had approved in on March 14, 1925. the state flag of AİŞC consists of  red  color cloth of ration of  2:1. Golden sickle and hammer with radius of 1/6 of width of flag was located at upper left corner of the flag at side of flag rope; a five pointed star with pointed edges to up encircled with the golden crescent and line  was located above it;  the diameter of crescent is equal to 1/10 of the flag width, and a word A.İ.Ş.C  in new and old Turkic alphabet was placed at right of sickle and hammer.

Flag of Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic in 1924-1930

At the end of 1920 the word “социалистическая” in Russian started to be translated like “socialist” instead of “ishtirak”, as before. The abbreviation on the flag was changed accordingly.

Since 1930 abbreviation “ASSR” on the flag of Azerbaijan SSR started to be given only in Latin script.

Flag of Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic in 1930-1937

 

Article 152 of the new Constitution of Azerbaijan SSR contained a describing of the flag as: “The state flag of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic consists of a red (scarlet) color cloth, with a

gold sickle and hammer and inscription “AzSSR” in Azerbaijani language above in the hoist.”

Flag of Azerbaijan SSR in 1937-1940. Images and writings on flag were given in Latin script. 

In accordance with the decree of the Azerbaijan SSR from July 11, 1939 “About the transition of the

Azerbaijan written language from Latin alphabet to Russian” the Azerbaijani written language from January 1, 1940 was transferred from Latin alphabet to the graphics on the base of the Russian alphabet. By the decree of Administrative Department of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR from March 20, 1940 an abbreviation “AзССР” on the State flag of the Azerbaijan SSR began to be represented in the new alphabet.

Flag of Azerbaijan SSR in 1940-1952 

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijani SSR from October 7, 1952 by

the project of the famous artist of the Azerbaijani SSR, honored figure of the art, the head of the State museum of the Art of Azerbaijan K.Kazimzade the new State flag of the Azerbaijan SSR was established. The describing of the flag was brought into the article 152 of the Constitution (Main Law) of the Azerbaijan SSR by the law of the Azerbaijan SSR from August 18, 1953:

”The State flag of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic is a color cloth of two horizontally placed colored stripes; the upper red one, that accounts for three-quarters of the flag width and the lower dark blue one that accounts for one-quarter of the flag width, with the images of a gold sickle and hammer and a five-pointed red star, framed with gold fringe above, in the upper hoist (the upper left corner by the flagstaff) of the red strip. The ratio of the width to the length is 1:2.

Flag of Azerbaijan SSR which was existed during 1952-1991. 

In Nov 17, 1990 by decision of Supreme Council of Nakhchıvan Autonomous Republic tri color lag that existed during Azerbaijan People Republic was adopted as a State flag of Autonomous Republic.  In Oct 18, 1991 the Constitutional Act on independence was adopted and our tricolor flag was again began fluttering as State Flag of Azerbaijan Republic.